SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — More than a year after the skeletal remains of a Navy SEAL and a Chinese tourist were discovered in the Anza Borrego Desert, their autopsy reports have been released, but the causes of death remain undetermined.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office has unsealed the autopsy reports for John Fitzpatrick, a Navy SEAL, and Jin Fang, a Chinese tourist who had met Fitzpatrick online.
Their remains were found separately in the fall of 2023, months after they were reported missing.
"The autopsies that were released today indicate that the bodies are markedly skeletonized," said Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist not involved in the case.
Fitzpatrick's skeletal remains were discovered by a hiker in September 2023, nearly two months after he went missing from his home in Morongo Valley. A month later, in October 2023, a search team located the remains of Fang.
Dr. Melinek, who reviewed the autopsies at CBS 8's request, explained the significance of the "undetermined" cause of death. "Undetermined does not mean we don't know what happened. It just means that the physical evidence is falling apart as a result of decomposition and the post mortem interval," she said.
The autopsies revealed no indication of foul play based on the examination of the bones. However, the extreme desert conditions may have played a role in their deaths. "Around the time that they were last seen alive, July 26 at Anza Borrego Desert State Park, the temperatures were at the max 117 degrees Fahrenheit. So if somebody was stranded, they could get dehydrated and pass away just from dehydration, very, very quickly," Dr. Melinek noted.
Fitzpatrick's truck was found damaged and disabled in the Harper Flat area, about 4 miles from where his body was discovered, the autopsy revealed.
Regarding toxicology tests, Dr. Melinek explained why they were not performed: "Toxicology on decomposed or skeletonized remains is really problematic. First of all, there needs to be sufficient tissue to be able to test it. You're not going to be able to interpret the drug levels, even if you pick something up."
The Medical Examiner's office stated that the autopsy reports were kept sealed for months at the request of the Sheriff's Department due to an ongoing investigation. They were finally unsealed this week.